Knicks hire Thomas as consultant

NEW YORK - Isiah Thomas is back in the New York Knicks organization as a consultant, two years after he was fired as coach and team president.

The Knicks announced Thomas' role Friday, saying he would "assist the team's senior management in various capacities, including player recruitment."

Thomas had a dismal run as team president from December 2003-April 2008, with the Knicks missing the playoffs every year despite often having the league's highest payroll. He was also the coach the final two seasons, getting dismissed after a 23-59 season in 2007-08.

But he's remained close to the organization even while coaching Florida International University, a job he will keep.

"I'm excited to once again be a part of the New York Knicks organization," Thomas said. "I was honored to have been asked to help during the recent free agent recruiting process, and believe that this new role takes full advantage of my skill set as an evaluator of basketball talent."